1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to content management. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for controlling access to and from a network through a network appliance.
2. The Relevant Technology
Computer networks continue to proliferate due to declining costs, increasing performance of computer and networking equipment, and increasing demand for communication bandwidth. Client networks, including wide area networks (“WANs”) and local area networks (“LANs”), allow increased productivity and utilization of distributed computers or stations through the sharing of resources, the transfer of data, and the processing of data at the most efficient locations.
Moreover, as organizations and individuals have recognized the economic benefits of using client networks, network applications such as electronic mail, voice and data transfer, host access, and shared and distributed databases, are increasingly used as a means to increase user productivity. This increased demand, together with the growing number of distributed computing resources, has resulted in a rapid expansion of the number of installed networks.
As a result of the widespread use of computing devices and computer networks, many businesses have experienced, and continue to experience, enormous growth in network content volume. This growth has led to a need has arisen for systems, devices and software configured to implement schemes that allow users to locate, access, share, back up, and otherwise manage, network content. A number of approaches have been devised in an attempt to fulfill the aforementioned needs. Such approaches have proven problematic for various reasons.
For example, some users have attempted to implement file-sharing and related functionality by using electronic mail, or “email,” to transmit files to other users. However, sharing files in this way is problematic, at least because email software is generally not designed or intended for use in implementing file sharing schemes. For each content file or group of content files desired to be sent by email, the sender must specify in the email the name of each of the recipients to whom such content files will be sent. This approach to file sharing can be frustrating and time-consuming, particularly for users that frequently disseminate a variety of different content types to different groups of recipients. Moreover, attaching content files to an email can slow the operation of the email program and may, in some instances, result in corrupted or truncated content files.
Further, some content files are too large to be sent by email and so must be loaded on electronic media that is then physically transported to the intended recipient. Such manual processes are time-consuming, expensive, and unreliable, particularly where a large amount of content or a large number of files is desired to be transferred.
Yet other file-sharing schemes have been implemented in the form of servers and Internet-based storage sites. However, these types of systems and environments typically lack effective and reliable systems and software to search for and locate content. Such limited search capabilities compromise the ability of users to locate, access and share content. A further problem with the use of servers and Internet-based storage sites as a vehicle for implementation of file sharing schemes is that both servers and Internet storage sites can be quite expensive to purchase, use and maintain. Moreover, the storage capabilities of servers and Internet storage sites are typically rather limited. Content located at those sites may be vulnerable to hacking or other unauthorized access.
Not only does the proliferation of content have implications with respect to content backup procedures and file sharing, but it is often the case that users desire to be able to effectively and reliably access such content from remote locations. Various types of hardware and software have been devised to this end, but have not proven particularly effective in implementing such remote content access functionality.
By way of example, virtual private networks (“VPN”) have been developed that essentially permit secure transmission of content over public communications networks, such as the Internet, thereby permitting VPN remote clients to access content located on an office network or device for example. While VPNs thus provide some useful functionality, the hardware and software necessary to implement the VPN is relatively expensive. Moreover, VPNs are often difficult to set up, configure and maintain. This is of particular concern for consumers in small to medium sized businesses, for example, that typically lack the sophisticated IT resources and personnel that are available to relatively larger business enterprises. For this reason, at least, VPNs often do not represent a viable avenue to implementation of remote content access.
In addition to VPNs, various types of software have been developed with a view toward facilitating remote content access. However, such software is typically limited to the use of PCs for implementing its functionality. Moreover, these software products can be difficult to install, configure and run.
In addition, systems for accessing and/or storing data remotely or between networks are subject to security risks. Thus, networks typically have one or more firewalls to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. For example, firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially intranets. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria. Conventional firewalls operate as a user or remote device uses access information to gain access to the network as desired. Such approaches have the drawback, however, in that the firewall acts independently from the network and is controlled by the remote user. Hence, the remote user needs the proper applications and/or codes to pass through the firewall.
In view of the foregoing problems, and other problems in the art not specifically enumerated herein, what is needed are systems and methods that provide for effective and reliable content management enabling users to access data and or store data from remote locations without compromising security.